What MADE your day today?

[ChirpingGirl]

CJ's baby will be home from her camping trip later today. 

[_priapism]

I had complained here before about a counselor at my son’s high school.  There had long been suspicions that the school counselor was manipulating grades to help her daughter and members of the school girls’ volleyball team.  She was fired last year.

The school looked into complaints about grade irregularities and found she was using an algorithm that was not district approved.  When they recalculated grades, the woman’s daughter dropped from #1 to #4 in class rank.  My son rose from #9 to #7.  His friend will be valedictorian.  He’s very happy about this.  So am I.  I did not like the counselor, or her daughter, whom my son defeated in several school elections.

In Texas, the top 6% of each public school’s class qualifies for automatic admission to the University of Texas at Austin, and the top 10% qualifies for automatic admission at any other state university.  So it’s a big deal for these kids.  Shame on any parent rigging the system to help their child.

[psiberzerker]

Yeah, any time a student goes to the same school where a parent is on the faculty (Okay, maybe not the Janitor, or lunch lady, but anyone with access to files, and grades) I would think that close oversight would be in order.  It doesn't take an Ethics Professor to see the possibilities for Nepotism there, but I had no idea that School Councilors were able to change grades like that, even in Texas Public Schools.

Then again, we have a president who's Daughter/First lady is basically in his cabinet, so the standards for Ethics have gone down across the board.  And, it's DoEd, which has traditionally been raided like a petty cash fund from the ISD all the way to the cabinet since I left Texas Public Schools in Jr. High.  (Dobie, in Austin.)

[_priapism]

Yeah, this same lady’s son was valedictorian a few years ago, so you have to wonder.

[psiberzerker]

Yeah, this same lady’s son was valedictorian a few years ago, so you have to wonder.

Not any more...  Now, you kinda have to Suspect.

[IdleBoast]

I have more than one job, and a number of voluntary roles.

In one, I just had a bunch of seriously important paperwork that affected the futures of at least 11 people passed by an external verifier.

In another, a favourite colleague made a surprise return from an unplanned break that I thought was going to become permanent.

Also, three different people independently made me cake or cookies for absolutely no reason other than they thought I would enjoy being given baked goods.

Also, three more sleeps and it's my summer break.

[_priapism]

I finally got a good nights rest in my own bed.  We’d been traveling for the holiday and ferrying children to and from airports.  I slept on the couch two nights, because a full house meant a shortage of beds.

My son is in Europe and sent me a lot of photos today.  Work is good, and I’m kicking my antagonist’s ass again.  The garden is yielding way too many cucumbers.  Wifey is making kholodets. Everyone is in a good mood.

[RopeFiend]

Waiting breathlessly for tomorrow.  I'm already in a good mood, Just In Case.


Edit: I'M FINALLY HEALED, after 2 1/2 years of issues with my wrist and multiple surgeries.  I'm in a FUCKING FANTASTIC mood. 

[MintJulie]

Dan and I are jumping off I-75 to do a few bourbon distillery tours, spending the night in Lexington and finishing the trip the following day.   He's such a sweetheart.  I've been talking about wanting to do one for the last year, and he scheduled 4 in one day.  Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Town Branch, Four Roses.  I'm so excited.

We did the distilleries of Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve.   We spent too much time at both to fit the other ones in.

The sad thing was, I couldn't buy any Blanton's at Buffalo Trace.  The gift store had sold out.   They are limited to how much they could sell.  The Kentucky Liqour Distribution Control dictates how much they can sell.   If we had only went to Buffalo Trace first instead of Woodford.   I did get a bottle of Colonel Taylor though.  And a 1500ml bottle of Woodford, which I drank during the trip. yum

So, here I am looking at 5 pallets with 120 cases containing 6 bottles each (3600 bottles in total), and I can't buy one single bottle.   

I did LOVE the tours though.   

Pictures from the Blantons Bottling Hall below.  (click to enlarge)
I was standing next to this guy that loves it more than me.   He buys every bottle whenever he finds it.  He has over 100 bottles and lives about 20 miles from us.   Dan was chatting with him.  We're going to get together with them sometime soon.  When we do, he promised me a glass of Blantons Gold, which is a unicorn.  I've never seen it, ever.
He and his wife were super nice, and they had a cute little dog that I even risked petting (even with my pet dander allergy).  He was just so cute (the dog, not the guy).

One of the warehouses


The Blanton's Bottling Hall
from empty bottle, to full, to waxing the stoppers in, to applying the label, to the box....


...on to the pallet.   5 pallets!  And I can't have a single drop. 

[_priapism]

Sorry, you can't repeat a karma action without waiting 24 hours.

[psiberzerker]

Sorry, you can't repeat a karma action without waiting 24 hours.

LOL, if that rule was changed, you, and Minty would probably shoot up a thousand overnight.  (Mostly for pictures.)

[Jed_]

I’m all out of bourbon for over a week now.  

I still got a bunch of hard liquor left from the wedding, mostly vodka and tequila at this point, so it’s hard to justify buying any more short term.  I did run out of red wine so bought a case yesterday.  I ran out of beer last week, so bought some last week.

There’s still a little JW Red left, but I’m more of a bourbon guy when it comes to whiskey like our Jules.

[_priapism]

I’m all out of bourbon for over a week now.  

My older son is a bit of an alcoholic, and will drink all of dad’s beer and booze after he goes to bed.  Every last drop.  We’ve talked about it a dozen times, so I have taken to locking my hooch in the trunk of the car.  I don’t mind mixing a drink in the driveway, but these hot Texas summers have got to be working hell on my bourbon.  I’ve thought about buying a gun safe for my bar, but knowing my kid, he’ll take a Fun Ed course in blow torchery.

[ChirpingGirl]

Telling my family I hate how my life turned out. My therapist said it was important I do it. Told wifey I never wanted to get married and I resented her for leaving me for Japan, which contributed to my drug addiction. Then she came back with a kid and expected everything to be as if nothing happened. I told my mom's I love them, but hate them for what they did to me when I was a kid. And I told them how my father did far worse to me every single time they let him take me. I basically spilled my guts. It was time. I feel better. I even told my sister I hated that she married a hot gay British girl, she was boy crazy for a while. I hoped she wouldn't end up like the rest of us.

But having said all that, none of them are talking to me now. I honestly don't care. CJ is done with keeping things bottled up.

The only person to escape my wrath was Lauren, my hot blonde disabled wifey #2. Who could get promoted if I end up divorced.  

[psiberzerker]

Telling my family I hate how my life turned out...

I love how positive you keep the vast majority of your posts, despite the horrors you barely hint at.  For the most part, you manage to keep things optimistic, funny, and hopeful.  However, you can only bottle such things up for so long.  Thank you for letting a little out.  It has to be done from time to time, but don't let it ruin your positive outlook.

Kvetching all the time can let you lose sight of what you Love about your life.  I hope you never lose that fight.

[_priapism]

But having said all that, none of them are talking to me now. I honestly don't care. CJ is done with keeping things bottled up.

I had lunch with my brother two weeks ago.  Told him I am concerned that I only hear from him when he is drunk, and all he wants to talk about is old grievances, how everyone is an asshole (but him), and his plans for mass retribution and pissing on people’s graves.

I suggested he forgive the past, let go of his anger, and focus on the love in his life, his wife and children (all of whom are a little terrified or sick and tired of him).  So he GHOSTED me.  And he got mad at me for going to a family reunion at our “asshole” uncle’s house.  Texted catty replied to my photos I sent him.

My family is madly dysfunctional, but I did not think that comments made out of genuine concern would be taken so poorly.  Just need to keep my fat yap shut.

[MintJulie]

And he got mad at me for going to a family reunion at our “asshole” uncle’s house.  Texted catty replied to my photos I sent him.

My family is madly dysfunctional, but I did not think that comments made out of genuine concern would be taken so poorly.  Just need to keep my fat yap shut.

We have an employee here that has a similar situation.  Except her sister is hooked on pain killers.   She hates that Betty associates with people she doesn't like.  But she speaks poorly about everyone!

I feel so sorry for Betty sometimes having to deal with that whack-job and appease her.   

[Jed_]

I’m all out of bourbon for over a week now.  

My older son is a bit of an alcoholic, and will drink all of dad’s beer and booze after he goes to bed.  Every last drop.  We’ve talked about it a dozen times, so I have taken to locking my hooch in the trunk of the car.  I don’t mind mixing a drink in the driveway, but these hot Texas summers have got to be working hell on my bourbon.  I’ve thought about buying a gun safe for my bar, but knowing my kid, he’ll take a Fun Ed course in blow torchery.

No alcohol was safe when I was married before.  I used to hide the good stuff so she wouldn’t drink it up.  If it was a $75 bottle of wine I was saving for a special occasion, she’d open it, drink half a glass, then pass out, sometimes spilling the rest.  Usually with a lite cigarette in her hand burning the couch.  That’s one thing I don’t miss.

[_priapism]

‘61 Cheval Blanc from a paper cup.  A favorite scene from Sideways.  A metaphor for Miles’ wasted life.

[psiberzerker]

A funny thing about most safes is they're not designed to be impossible to break into.  That's impossible, give someone long enough, with the right tools, and they can get in eventually.

They're designed to make it extremely difficult to get in, without damaging the valuables you're trying to get.  Of course you could just blow the doors off with a stick of dynamite, or a syringe of Nitroglycerine, but glass bottles, full of 40% ethanol by volume?  Even the blow-torch doesn't sound like a very good idea, unless the plan is to start a fire, instead of just getting drunk.